items like this catalogue are useful objects for a handling collection because they can help to demonstrate what garments looked like when they were worn. The T. Eaton Company Catalogue, Fall / Winter 1920-21, p.187, City of Toronto, Museum Services Collecting Policy

A picture really can speak a 1000 words! Photograph showing a corset maker (on the right) from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK. The collection has an example of a corset made by this woman. From Buckinghamshire County Museum

Shop catalogues, like this early 20th century example from Canada, offer valuable contextual information. The T. Eaton Company Catalogue, Fall / Winter 1920-21, p.64 City of Toronto, Museum Services

Label from a 1960s dress stating the dress fabri.|From Buckinghamshire County Museum

Dress in museum collections offers fantastic possibilities for telling stories but sometimes its potential is hidden by the way it’s been collected in museums, often in an unstructured and organic way. A well considered collecting policy for dress and textiles in a museum collection can significantly help to enhance the stories which the objects can tell, the way they can be used in exhibitions and their usefulness in forming a study and research collection. It can also help to clarify which items you really want to add to your collection and highlight your collecting priorities. These pages present some issues to consider when thinking about your collecting policy for clothing and textiles, whether you’re starting from scratch or reviewing an existing policy.